1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin receiving box associated with operation of a host coin accepting machine. The coin collection box is removable from the machine, and is interchangeably inserted selectively into any one of several similar machines. The coin box contains memory for establishing both temporary and permanent electronic records, and has electrical contact surfaces enabling communication with its host machine. The coin box has guiding structure for assuring that it is correctly inserted into its host machine. Both the guiding structure and the electrical contacts enable reversible insertion into the host machine.
The invention is further directed to a mobile inventorying apparatus and method for receiving moneys such as coins and tokens collected from a slot machine in a secure manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Certain activities, such as vending and gaming, are available to the public in commercial premises dedicated to these activities. These premises contain gaming machines which operate automatically when a patron inserts coins or tokens into the machine. Gaming machines tend to amass coins or tokens rapidly, and must periodically be emptied. Since machine operation is equally feasible with coins and tokens, discussion from this point forward will refer to coins, it being understood that tokens may be substituted to similar effect.
In particular, gaming machines are available in large numbers in casinos. Large numbers of people enjoy using these machines, which may all be in use despite the number of machines available. To enable rapid reestablishment of operability after retrieval of coins, gaming machines are provided with interchangeable, removable coin collection boxes. Service personnel employed by the casino come to a gaming machine with an empty coin collection box, remove the full box, and insert the new box. The full box is then brought to a counting facility for accounting and verification of its contents.
Many boxes may be present simultaneously at the counting facility. Various schemes have been employed to enable the casino to know which box is associated with which gaming machine. These schemes use printed numbers on small pieces of paper, or serial numbers printed on the side of coin boxes. Both methods are prone to human error and mistake.
The casino may easily fail to recover all coins which theoretically are present in the coin box. Such loss may stem from either of two possibilities. One is that the bin was misaligned within its host gaming machine, so that some coins could fail to enter the box. In this case, the coins could lodge within recesses in the machine, or be retrieved and pocketed during removal of the box by dishonest personnel servicing the machine. These personnel may also remove coins from the interior of the box, even when the coins have properly entered the box.
Although casinos have automated systems utilizing the master computer for calculating a total sum which theoretically has been amassed by the machines, the system falls short of being able to pinpoint specific causes of loss. This is because large numbers of coin or token bins are received at the counting facilities, and it is not possible to identify which box was short of its calculated receipts. It is merely possible to calculate that the sum of the coins actually collected falls short of theoretical receipts. Thus the operator of the premises cannot identify poorly installed bins and dishonest employees.
A coin receiving machine having a removable coin collection box and electronic memory devices contained within both machine and box is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,643, issued to Bernd Kirberg on Oct. 15, 1991. Kirberg""s device is a vending machine rather than a gaming machine, and lacks the arrangement of guiding structure assuring appropriate and reversible mating of the coin collection box within the host machine and electrical contacts found in the present invention.
Mechanical disconnection of an electronic memory device within a coin receiving machine upon removal of a coin collecting receptacle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,285, issued to Jerome Remien on Oct. 17, 1995. Remien""s machine is not a gaming machine, and lacks the arrangement of guiding structure assuring appropriate and reversible mating of the coin collection box within the host machine and electrical contacts found in the present invention.
Keyed insertion of a coin collecting receptacle into a host machine is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,371,114, issued to Walter Von Stoeser on Mar. 6, 1945. Stoeser""s arrangement does not allow for reversible insertion of the receptacle, as provided in the present invention. Also, Stoeser""s machine is not a gaming machine, and lacks electronic memory and electrical contacts enabling communication to electronic memory, as found in the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention provides structural cooperation between a coin collecting box and its host machine so that the box is reversibly insertable into the host machine and so that accurate positioning of the box within the host machine is assured. The coin box and the cavity of the host machine are each provided with complementary grooves or projections assuring appropriate alignment of the box.
A preferred configuration of guiding members includes a low upwardly oriented projection disposed upon the flat floor of the cavity of the host machine. The coin box has a flat floor including short depending walls which partially surround and closely cooperate with the projection when the coin box is fully inserted and lowered into position. Both the projection of the host machine and the walls of the coin box are inclined, so that lowering the coin box also centers the coin box over the projection. The coin box is configured to avoid cracks and crevices into which coins may lodge, be concealed, or otherwise be lost.
The host machine and the coin box are each provided with electronic memory devices for storing information relating to the identity of each and with circuitry enabling communication between the two memory devices. Each memory device receives information relating at a minimum to cumulative count of coins and to the identity of its partner memory device. Therefore, when the coin box is returned to the mounting facility, the operators of the casino may ascertain which coin box has been associated with which gaming machine. Any shortage of coins will be attributable to the correct source of the loss, and remedial steps may then be taken. At the same time, counting and verification of other machines and coin boxes may proceed independently of a short count relating to any one particular coin box.
To enable communication between box and host machine, electrical contacts are provided in each such that they will be operable regardless of direction of insertion of the coin box into the host machine. The communication circuits completed by mating of these contacts are separable, or broken when the coin box is removed. Contact is preferably sliding in nature rather than depending upon interfering abutment. Effective contact may then ensue without requiring the extreme precision required for abutting contact.
The arrangement of the contacts reduces requirements for precision when mating. Unlike connection devices such as multipin connectors, which must be carefully aligned prior to mutual engagement, the electrical contacts act automatically, requiring no attention from the installing personnel whatsoever. Physical alignment of the coin box within the cavity of the host machine is the only requirement. Cooperation between the depending walls of the coin box and the projection of the host machine assures that it is nearly impossible to misalign the two.
The electrical contacts are disposed upon the flat upper surface of the projection of the host machine and upon the flat floor of the coin box. In an alternative to actual contact, communicable engagement may be accomplished by induction. Coils embedded within the box and the host machine on the flat surfaces will cause signals to be transferred inductively without resorting to actual contact.
According to another aspect of the invention, a mobile inventorying and collection apparatus provides for immediate inventorying of moneys collected in the coin box at an area adjacent to the host machine, and transfer of the inventoried monies to a secured receptacle on-board the mobile apparatus, preferably for later transfer to a secured coin repository. Host machines may be gaming machines, vending machines, change machines or other machines in which monies are collected, without limitation. The mobile apparatus may be a transportable cart or other conveyance for supporting the system components described below in greater detail.
The system preferably includes the coin box which is interchangeably received by both the host machine for initial collection and the mobile cart for measurement, including weighing collected moneys on a scale provided on the mobile apparatus. Information identifying the coin box and inventory information specific to the coins and tokens received and collected from the host machine is transmitted to either a CPU provided on-board the mobile cart for later downloading to a remote data management system, or directly to the remote data management system. Such data transmission may be concurrent with collection processing, or batch downloaded after collection of moneys from a plurality of host machines. After the coin box has been inventoried, its contents are then transferred to a secure receptacle provided on-board the mobile cart, and the coin box is returned to its designated host machine for subsequent coin collection, thereby immediately placing the host machine, such as a gaming machine, back in service using the original coin box.
The coins/tokens may be segregated by numerical denomination in the mobile inventorying system, for separate secured retention in corresponding receptacles provided in the mobile cart. Paper money or scrip may be collected and accounted for by the apparatus of the invention. The mobile cart is then preferably advanced to a subsequent host machine as necessary to inventory all host machines in a particular location and efficiently and securely collect monies in the manner previously described. The mobile cart may be retrofittable to existing cart systems, configured to hand or vehicle transfer systems, or self-propelled in an automatic delivery system to deliver inventoried moneys to a remote count room or other receiving facility. According to another embodiment of the invention, the mobile apparatus includes a self-propelled tow vehicle provided with inventorying and collection apparatus and one or more coin collection carts, each having one or more secure receptacles, to be towed by the tow vehicle adjacent to the host machines to be inventoried.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a coin receiving machine and mobile inventorying and collection apparatus having a removable coin collection box for interchangeable use with the coin receiving machine and mobile inventorying and collection apparatus, and a removable coin collection box for use with a mobile inventorying and collection apparatus for immediate inventorying of moneys collected in the coin box, and electronic memory apparatus for recording the identity of both the machine and the coin collection box, so that upon removal of the coin collection box and retrieval of its contents, the retrieved contents may be reconciled with records of the sum inserted into the machine, and to provide immediate inventoried and secure retention of gaming monies collected by the host machine.
A second object of the invention is that the box be provided with memory for retaining its identity independently of other memory devices external to the coin collection box.
It is another object of the invention that the coin collection box and the host machine cooperatingly interfit to assure appropriate alignment between the two.
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus which will transmit electrical or electronic signals between the coin collection box and its host machine when the former is correctly installed within the latter, and which will prevent signal transmission when the former is not correctly installed within the latter.
Still another object of the invention is to enable reversible insertion of the coin collection box within the host machine, while preserving communicable engagement therebetween.
Yet a further object of the invention is to configure the coin collection box to avoid construction wherein cracks and crevices are present, and in which cracks and crevices coins may lodge.
An additional object of the invention is to provide cooperating inclined surfaces promoting centering of the coin collection box within the cavity of the host machine receiving the coin collection box.
It is again an object of the invention to provide an electronic memory device within both the host machine and the coin collection box, and separable circuitry for communicating between the two memory devices.
Still another object of the invention is to prevent loss of coins due to pilferage.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a gaming machine having electronic memory and a readily insertable coin collection box having electronic memory and separable circuitry for communicating between the memory of the collection box and the memory of the gaming machine.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.